Hand-extender



No. 623,235. Patented Apr. l8, I899.

r. L. CRANE.

HAND EXTENDER.

(Application filed Oct. 13, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

FREDERICK L. CRANE, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

HAND-EXTENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,235, dated April18, 1899. Application filed October 18, 1898. Serial No. 693,404. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. CRANE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Hand-Extender, especiallyadapted for the use of pianists, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference -being had to the accompanyingdrawings,

forming a part of this specification,in explaining its nature.

It is well known that there are certain parts in the hand which soconfine its movements that in some cases a person playing the pianocannot stretch suiiiciently far to play an octave. My invention isespecially adapted for the use of such persons, for I have discoveredthat in many such cases these parts can by proper exercise beelongated,so as to very considerably increase the players stretch.

For this purpose my invention consists in a hand-extender having twofinger-rests which are adapted to be adj ustably separated from eachother, and I have shown in the drawings what now seems to me thesimplest and most convenient construction for carrying out my invention.

Figure 1 of the drawings shows my device applied to a hand and in use.Fig. 2 is a plan view, Fig. 3 being a view in which the fingerrest-s areturned at right angles to their position in Fig. 2.

A represents a threaded rod having a shoulder a cut on one end, andthere is a handle A on the other end. A block I3 is riveted against theshoulder a, so as to turn on the end of the rod A, and to this block isattached a finger-rest C.

D is a second block, threaded on its interior, so that its position maybe adjusted upon the rod A. To it is also attached a finger-rest E,similar to the finger-rest C. Each rest is preferably made of a piece ofheavy braid, one end of which is attached directly to the block, theother end being attached either directly to the block or, if is desiredto make the loop adjustable in size,to a strip of leather or othermaterial 0, which in turn is attached to the. block by means of screws0, as shown in the drawings. As shown in the drawings,

the loop C is provided with not only the holes in each end through whichthe screws 0 pass,

but another set of holes marked 0 If it is desired to make the loopshorter, the screws may be removed and the upper end of the loop pulledalong and the screws reinserted through the holes 0 and the holes in theother end of the loop into the block. The loop c may be constructed in asimilar man ner. By this means the length of the loop which forms thefinger-rest may be adjusted. The finger-rest E is similarly constructed,the leather in this case being lettered c and its screw c. Othermethods, however, of construction, by means of which the loops 0 and 6may be made adjustable in size, will readily occur to one skilled in theart, or each block itself may be loop or hook shaped to form afinger-rest.

To use my device, the finger-rest C is put over the little finger of thehand, as shown in Fig. 1-, preferably so as to pass around the block B,thus shortening the loop and binding the finger somewhat in the rest, sothat it will not slip out therefrom. The other finger-rest is placedover the thumb, and by turning the rod A by means of its handle A theblock D will be separated from the block 13 and the thumb and littlefinger thus strained apart. This device having been applied in themanner described and left on the hand in that position for some littletime, it will be found that the parts confining the thumb and littlefinger will be lengthened slightly. The screw may be then turned so asto still further separate the blocks B and D and again stretch theseparts. Thus it will be lengthened little by little, and the applicationof this device from day to day for a short time each day will produce amarked effect upon the reach of the hand in playing.

I have shown the finger-rests in the form of loops of braid, and Ibelieve that this is the best and simplest form of fingerrest, for thebraid will cling to the fingers, and thus will not tend to slide off;but the rests may be made in other ways, the essential feature of thedevice being a hand-extender carrying finger-rests and means foradjustably sepa rating these finger-rests from each other, whereby thenecessary stretching of the hand may be accomplished.

It is evident that a hand-extender of the kind described may be used forthe purposes of extending other portions of the hand than thatdescribed. For example, it is very desirable that the ligament whichconnects the digital extremities of the metacarpal bones should in somecases be extended in order to facilitate the playing of extended chords.This can be accomplished by attaching the rests to the little finger andindex-finger and adjusting the rests as above described. In a short timethe results of its use will be very marked.

It will be noticed that the finger-rests in my device are entirelyindependent of each other-that is to say, are nothinged or otherwiseconnected save as each is mounted upon the adjusting devices so thateach is inde pendent of the 0therand they may be separated to an extentdepending simply upon the length of the adjustment.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States 1. A hand-extender comprising twofingerrests each separate from the other, and means whereby each may bemoved bodily from the other as set forth.

2. 'lhehand-extender above described consisting of a threaded rodcarrying two fingerrests adapted to be separated from each other by therotation of said red, as set forth.

3. A hand-extender consisting of a threaded rod carrying twofinger-rests each adjustable in size, as set forth.

4. The hand extender consisting of a threaded rod carrying a finger-restadjustable thereon, and at one end a block adapted to turn freelythereon, said block having a flexible loop attached to one side thereofand adapted in use to be drawn over two other sides thereof,whereby thefinger will be bound firmly against the block and yet may be easilyinserted therein and withdrawn therefrom, as setforth.

FRE DK. L. CRANE.

In presence of GEORGE O. G. COALE, Gno. A. WALsH.

